Ep. 62 with Julie Thiel | Founder of Thiel Talent Strategy - Reclaiming Your Hue: A Podcast for Women Rediscovering Themselves in Motherhood & Entrepreneurship

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good morning Dooley, good morning Kelly.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
It's so nice to see a neighbor.
I know, I know Part of thisconnection process we realized
we are literally, I think, threeblocks apart.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Yeah, so yeah, it's so it's so cool and you know,
thinking back to when weinitially had our our phone
conversation, you were like,yeah, I'm here anytime, Edina,
and I'm like, oh, wait a second.
And then you know like I'mstill kind of getting my
bearings.
Even though I've been here inmy house for a couple of years,

(00:33):
I still find myself getting mybearings like where is that in
Edina?
And I have to like look on themap.
But let's go ahead and start offby the map.
But let's go ahead and startoff by asking the question who
connected us, like, how is itthat we are connected?

Speaker 2 (00:54):
And then we can lead into that conversation that we
were having back in January,absolutely, absolutely.
So our connection, our mutualconnection, is Judy Praska who I
think is one of the superconnectors in the Twin Cities.
I mean she is so generous withmaking introductions.
I had reached out to her as Istarted to launch my business
and again we'll be talking aboutthat but she connected me to

(01:18):
you.
She connected me to so manygreat people in the Twin Cities
that have been helping me getlaunched, so it's been a
wonderful experience.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
She really is Like I love the word that you use she's
a super connector.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
Yes, yes, she is.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
She is totally a super connector and I know we
were talking about this off airinitially like she's been pretty
instrumental in a lot of theother women who have been guests
on the podcast, in terms ofthat connection point right and
then getting those individualson onto the podcast as well and
kind of understood theassignment.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yes, and she is heavily invested in advocating
for women.
And you know, a fun story abouthow I met Judy was I one of my
corporate jobs.
I was leading a leadershipdevelopment program that worked
with female athletes at theUniversity of Minnesota and was
supporting them in buildingtheir leadership skills, and

(02:14):
Judy was very active in that.
We run panels together there,and so that is how we crossed
paths initially and then, justyou know, periodically stayed in
touch after that.
So fun story she's.
She's very, very committed tohelping women succeed in
business or whatever it is theyaspire to do.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Yeah, yeah.
I couldn't agree more.
Well, let's go ahead and diveinto you, julie.
So what came first for you, wasit motherhood or was it
entrepreneurship?
It was motherhood.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
And I, you know I I've spent.
I spent 30 years in a corporatejob and I know we're shaking
our heads Like that's a longtime in corporate.
And uh, and so I think my storyis maybe a little bit different
, because I made the jump tointern in entrepreneurship just
this last year, so I'm still arelatively kind of new business,

(03:07):
new entrepreneur.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
You know it's interesting, though I mean no
matter what the background isleading into entrepreneurship, I
think 30 years is a relevantamount of time, especially in
the corporate setting and thesetting that you were in as well
, and we'll get to that here injust a moment too, Because I
think that there's like there'sa, there's a buildup that

(03:31):
happens Absolutely and all of asudden there ends up being this
breaking point.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Breaking point, tipping point, whatever you want
to call it.
But regardless, I like to sayand I've referenced this so many
times on the podcast, it's likeyou connect the dots looking
backwards and it's a Steve Jobsquote, right Like you can
connect the dots lookingbackwards and go, ah yeah, that

(03:58):
skill set that I learned at thatparticular point in time is
totally playing its role hereand I never thought that I might
use that skill set, but nowit's totally coming up here at
this point in myentrepreneurship journey and and
vice versa, right.
So it's like it's, it's really,really cool.

(04:18):
And I also like want to honor tothe fact that, no matter what
season you're in in, terms ofentrepreneurship there's 110%
relevance, no matter what pointyou're at in that journey,
whether it's like you know yourbabies, you're taking your baby
steps for the first time, oryou're in your toddler phase of

(04:40):
entrepreneurship or like ifwe're going to kind of think of
it in terms of birthing a baby.
That's what I like to referenceit at Like.
There's still so much relevancein terms of what you have
learned from your past thatyou're pulling through into what
you're doing now for yourbusiness.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
That's right.
That's right.
I mean it's, it's.
It's been a really fascinatingjourney because, again, I was
kind of an older mom too, like I.
Um, I was so focused onbuilding my career that I just
you know I was a little latelater, got married a little bit
later, had a baby a little bitlater I was 36, going on 37 when

(05:21):
I had my baby.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
That's me too.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Okay, okay Cause you know it's like it's like you
know, I took my, you know, Ireally was focused on building a
career and um and and again.
I look at it and I'm I'm sure Idon't know if you feel this way
too, but I wasn't ready for ituntil I was ready for it too
with being a parent.
And so you know I made, I madethat, um, you know I made that,

(05:44):
you know I had my daughter Grace, and I was in the middle of it.
I was pretty advanced in mycareer at the time.
At the time I was the head ofHR for a growing company and you
know, traveling a lot and youknow, just kind of in the middle
of a lot of corporateleadership pressures, as I was

(06:06):
also learning how to be a momand put all of that together,
which was which was quitechallenging at the time.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
Well, let's talk about that.
Yes, let's actually dive intothat, because I think that
there's a lot of really keythings that happen at that
particular moment in time when,regardless if you're in a
corporate setting or whatever itis, prior to becoming, an
entrepreneur and starting yourown business, that there's that
pivotal moment of like when youbecome a mom and how you're

(06:37):
harmonizing what that looks likefor that particular business
standpoint, that particularbusiness standpoint.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
That's right.
That's right, I mean myexperience.
It was interesting because, asI was you know I was I was
definitely nervous on how.
I was going to put it alltogether Like it really.
You know, like when you'regoing into having a baby and
you're used to being able towork the extra hours and you
know not, you know, not tied toa daycare schedule of drop off

(07:04):
and pick up and things like that, it is really hard to get your
head around.
Well, how is this going to work?
And I think, first of all, Ihave pretty good organizational
skills and I think a lot of myparenting success has been you
know, I can put a calendartogether, I can plan ahead, I
mean, those sorts of things havereally helped.

Speaker 1 (07:25):
I think I can put a calendar together, I can plan
ahead.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
I mean, those sorts of things have really helped, I
think, with it and um, butreally I what?
What having a baby did for meis it really?
It really made my prioritiesclear and I think that's you
know as.
I've listened to, other peoplehave come on your podcast like
that pivotal moment of like.
You know this, this is thenumber one priority.

(07:49):
So so it wasn't as hard to stepaway from work to go pick up my
daughter as it.
You know.
It felt impossible going in.
But when it came down to likeI'm leaving right now, the work
is stopping, I'm going to pickup my is stopping, I'm going to
pick up my daughter.

Speaker 1 (08:05):
I'm going to have my evening with my daughter and if
I have to pick up the work laterI'll you know, I'll log in
later if I need to.

Speaker 2 (08:11):
Yeah, yeah, so kind of having those hard stops in my
life was new but worth it andmuch easier to make the
transition.

Speaker 1 (08:20):
As I look back, well, you have no choice.
Yeah, I mean, you just do it.
You don't have to do, you do,but like either know one of two
things is going to happen Likethe daycare is going to call you
and be like you need to comeand pick up your child.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
Right, exactly, exactly.

Speaker 1 (08:35):
Or you know something fatally worse is going to
happen, like you have.
Of course you have the choice,but like when you become a mom,
knowing that you like for lackof better words like when you,
when you have so much lovethat's happening at that given
moment, you're like yeah, ofcourse I'm going to go pick up

(08:57):
my child.
And like, this is not a make orbreak, it's not do or die,
we're not operating and savinglives.
Yes, like legitimately, we'renot.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
I think my whole journey not only with you know
becoming a parent, becoming amom and even growing as a leader
in a company, whether it'scorporate or as an entrepreneur,
has been a letting go ofperfectionism.

Speaker 1 (09:22):
I mean.

Speaker 2 (09:23):
I think that's also what you know.
One of the things that changedin me with having my daughter
Grace was that, you know, I meanI would get ready in the
morning and I used to have everyhair in place and, like you
know, cute outfit and all thethings.
And it was like you know I would, she would.
I found she would spit up on meand there was a time where I

(09:44):
would clean it up and before Ichanged my clothes where I went
to work.
And then there were other timesit was like this is my badge of
honor.
My daughter spit up on me thismorning and I'm just going to go
do my day and you know it'skind of an exercise and you know
I I don't need to be a perfectmom, I need to be.

Speaker 1 (10:03):
I just need to be present.
Yes, being present is enough.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
And there was a lot of things, a lot of trade-offs,
especially in the job I was inand um the type of work I was
doing.
Um, you know, I couldn't, Icouldn't be the mom that was at
all the field trips and all ofthe like, all the extra stuff
that I, you know.
I'm grateful that there aremoms that have that flexibility
in doing that.

(10:27):
Like I would look at what wasgoing on when she was in
elementary school and it's likegosh.
You know, I wish I could dothose things.
It just wasn't realistic withmy commitment, my work
commitments, but I'm so gladthere are moms that have that
flexibility that do that.
So you know I, you know Ialways looked at it like team
approach, right, or you knowthere are.

(10:52):
You know we all give what wecan and that's and none of it's
affected my relationship with mydaughter.
You know I look, I look at itand I just go.
You know my daughter and I, youknow she's 18 now, so she's
we're in a completely differentphase, but you know we're close.
You know, it's like it's like,you know, I had so much
heartache at the time over, youknow, not having the perfect t
shirt.
They had to wear red t shirtson the one day and she had to
wear my t shirt because I didn'thave one.

(11:14):
I didn't realize and I didn'tget it in time and it was too
big and it looked like a dresson her and I felt like, oh, you
know, I'm scarring my daughterbecause I'm not, you know, on
top of all the details that arehappening, because I'm in the
middle of my life, but none ofthat, none of that affected the
result, right, I mean, it's likemy daughter's healthy, happy,

(11:37):
you know, off to do fun, coolthings in college.
And you know, a lot of thosethings that I tortured myself
about or really had guilt aboutnever came to pass, like the
fear.
Never came to pass.
What?

Speaker 1 (11:52):
a great opportunity to just talk about mom guilt.
Oh yeah, and coming fromsomebody who's lived it and
literally is speaking wisdomlike you're speaking wisdom to
so many of us like and I'm inthis boat, julie, I'm 110% in

(12:14):
this boat.
Like I've been so humbled bybecoming a mom and having to set
down the perfectionism, likelook what I did when you got
into this house.
I was like I'm so sorry.
Like I always want to like setthe tone and create ambience,
and I'm like, and we're insummer schedules like I'm just

(12:34):
like this is what it is and theevent's happening and there's
stuff in the corner.
Is it bothering me?
100, but it's like not as muchas it would have pre-baby yes,
so like there is this shift thathappens, like there's a mental
shift that happens.
But then also this wholeconcept of mom guilt is a

(12:57):
reality.
It really is.
And I think that for some of us, that pendulum swings one way
and then it swings another way,like sometimes our mom guilt is
super high, sure, and thensometimes it's like, oh, we're
okay.
But, I do think, and then thatvaries from one individual to

(13:18):
another right.

Speaker 2 (13:19):
Certainly yes.

Speaker 1 (13:20):
But I do think that you are speaking such amazing
words of wisdom that a lot ofthose things that we have mom
guilt over, the teeny tinythings right Like that, we seem
to make like mountains out ofwhat are actually molehills,
exactly.

Speaker 2 (13:40):
Well, and you know, and I look back, you know, I had
when, when my daughter was tiny, I had a job where I was
traveling every week.
So and I did not want to like.
I was like I think there aresome people like their jobs are
those heavy travel.
They love it, they want to doit.
I was in a company that wasacquired all of a sudden.

(14:00):
My job went from a local job toa national job, actually a
global job, you know, overnight,and that was not what my
aspirations were.
I mean, I wanted to have a jobwhere I was home more, and so I
really had to.
So I had to really find a wayto feel good about what I could

(14:25):
be present for and what I didn't.
And like I'm trying to thinkabout some stories on this, but
like my biggest example, but Ifeel like like my daughter was
getting ready to roll over- Okay, like she was at that stage,
yeah, and right before I wasgoing on a trip, I was like I
knew she was going to do it.
right before I was going on atrip, I was like I knew she was

(14:46):
going to do it.
I knew she was going to do itand I was like I don't want to
miss it because of the guiltright like I'm a terrible mom if
I miss her rolling over thefirst time.
Like I had this idea right andI look at it now and I'm like,
why was that?
but yes, it's a big milestone,but yeah, that's all about me.
That's actually not about mydaughter.
My daughter's not gonnaremember whether I was there
when she rolled over right, butit was about me, but my daughter

(15:09):
, for whatever reason.
She rolled over just as I hadpacked up my my bag and I was
getting ready to leave.
She did her first milestone onthat right as I was leaving and
I was like, oh, just the reliefof that Like okay, I was there.

Speaker 1 (15:24):
Victory lap, you know , like I was there when she did
that.

Speaker 2 (15:29):
But I, and also when my daughter was pretty young, I
did get divorced, so I had thatas a kind of a compounding
factor too.
So I was.
You know, her dad is veryactive in her life, we have a
good relationship, but I stillhad the guilt of, you know, not

(15:49):
being with her all the time andhaving a job that had all those
demands.
So I really had to go into itand just say you know, quality
is better than quantitysometimes, and as much as I
would like a high quantity oftime with my daughter, I'm in a
situation where it's going tojust have to be quality and and

(16:12):
I had to stop apologizing forthe fact that that was reality
and to myself, and because Ilearned that if, if I act like
it's a problem, my daughterthinks it's a problem- that's so
good.
You know, I mean it's like if Igo into it feeling like I'm

(16:32):
somehow not enough or not doingenough or not giving enough,
what's she going to learn?
She's going to believe thereality that I create and I
don't think it's bad that I'vebeen ambitious and had big jobs.
I think that is a good example,right.
So I had to kind of bottom linewith myself how I was going to

(16:56):
approach parenting, based on,you know, the reality of my, you
know, being a single parent,having an executive job and that
, and I really leaned intohaving friends and family help.
I mean, it's like you know, Itook the village approach, which
I strongly recommend and hasbeen great.

(17:17):
I had a bunch of babysitters.
I had car seats.
My friends all had car seatsbecause if I was traveling and
something happened with a delay,they could still pick her up.
They had car seats.

Speaker 1 (17:28):
So my friends had car seats.

Speaker 2 (17:29):
my parents, at different points, traveled up
from Chicago to spend time withmy daughter.
If I got pulled to a workmeeting that was out of town, so
it's still.
I'm not going to say that Istill didn't.
I mean I definitely felt guilt,I mean there's no question, but
I also felt good that mydaughter is growing up with a

(17:52):
whole lot of people that careabout her and love her, versus
it all being about me or focusedon me.

Speaker 1 (17:59):
Right.
It's so incredible to hear youtalk about this quality versus
the quantity, and I think thatthere's just realities around
what that looks like, no matterwhat stage of life you're in, as
an adult who has children, andyou're a parent right.
You could be in that corporatesetting where maybe you do have

(18:25):
the typical nine to five andthere is still a little bit of
flexibility around that, becauseevery corporate company views
that differently right Like someare pretty rigorous about like
you have got to be here andthat's.
There's no ifs, ands or butsabout it.
Right, yeah.
And oftentimes you see peoplein those settings that are

(18:46):
childless because they like, forwhatever reason, that's just
the path that they've taken.
Maybe they don't want to havekids, or life just at that point
isn't conducive.
Yes, right, yeah.
But in other ways too, you haveto have the discernment too, of

(19:07):
like okay, if I'm not at workand I am here with my child, am
I bringing work back into thehouse?
No, I'm not going to, because Iunderstand that this is a chunk

(19:27):
of time that I have with mychild where I otherwise don't
have the, the flexibility to beable to be with them.
I'm going to take thisopportunity to be fully present.
That's right, and I love thatyou spoke to that and I mean it.
The the quality over quantityis is perfect in that
circumstance.
Right, and I think that there'sa lot of people who are
listening right now that feelvalidated in hearing that.

Speaker 2 (19:48):
Yes, yes, totally, and at the end of the day, again
, it's it's like mostrelationships, it's it's my
daughter knows I love her, likethat's.
You know she knows I'm therefor her and I have made the the
I've, you know, the sacrifices,or made the schedule changes or
the things to be there for thethings that were important, like

(20:10):
I've always been there, so shecan rely on that.
Yeah, and I've also been open.
You know, one of the thingsthat's been really interesting
as she's gotten older is, youknow, I've been, you know, open
with her about a lot of things.
Like you know, you know, welive in a very affluent

(20:31):
community.
Yes, and you know, some kidsget things right E-bikes, yeah.

Speaker 1 (20:38):
The e-bikes that are scooching around.
I'm like, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2 (20:42):
And you know, I've said, you know, I've said you
know I, my daughter knows, youknow I'm investing in retirement
, I'm investing in building abusiness, I'm investing in.
You know, again, I'm, I'm, I'm,you know, choosing.
You know we have money is a lotof.
There's a lot of choices whenit comes to money and how you
spend it and what your valuesare.

(21:03):
And I've tried to be open tosay you know, I'm choosing to
spend this in this way for myfuture or her future, versus and
again, other people havedifferent financial situations.
They're choosing it differentways, but and she's I've heard
her reflect that back in arecent year where she's, she was

(21:25):
talking about a friend and youknow something that they were
doing or had, and she goes.
But you know, mom, I know wecould do that, but you're
choosing, you know we'rechoosing to spend our money
differently.
And I went, yes, it was kind ofone of those moments of you know
it was really cool because it'slike I, you know, I know I, I
have just I've tried to beconscious throughout that she's

(21:46):
watching me and I don't want herto think that working is bad.
I don't want her to think hardwork is bad, right I?
I don't want her to think thatstriving for a big job is bad or
any of those things, and soit's like it's not bad to choose
to maybe live a little moremodestly so that you can have

(22:08):
other things.
So I just keep being consciousof you know, I'm kind of on
stage with her watching me andI'm setting the tone for what?
For the future, like what, whatshe's going to think is normal
or what she's going to think ispossible.
And so I've just tried to beand again, I'm far from perfect

(22:32):
on this at all, but I'm trying,like I'm trying, I'm trying to
be intentional and consciousabout it.

Speaker 1 (22:38):
What I think is really important to note in this
moment in time too, as we'retalking through this, is that's
your family approach.
It's your family, it's nobodyelse's.
We have our own family approach, like we have a model, and it's
achieving excellence togetheras a family.
So that could mean the kids are, you know, rounding out and

(23:00):
they're helping out in thebusiness and we were talking
about that before.

Speaker 2 (23:03):
That was great.

Speaker 1 (23:05):
It's like my husband reminding me Kelly, you don't
need to do stuff on your own,you have the support.
What's our family motto?
Achieving excellence together.
I think sometimes that we aswomen feel like we've got to
take on the world and ourshoulders can sometimes feel
heavy, feeling like we'recarrying the world Right.

(23:27):
But when you understand thatyou've got this village of
support around you right.
But then the the like to goback to my initial thought.
I know I'm going off on alittle bit of a tangent here,
but, like my initial thought andwhat I was speaking to is,
every family dynamic is going tolook different and there's no

(23:49):
right or wrong way of that whatthat approach is, and forget
about how other people areviewing it.

Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yes, right.

Speaker 1 (23:56):
Like.
I love that you made a very umconscious point of saying I'm
I'm on stage with my child,right, and she's watching me,
and this is the approach thatI'm taking is setting us up for
our future, right, and it's myfuture as the mother, but I'm

(24:18):
also modeling that for my childtoo.

Speaker 2 (24:21):
Yes, she's watching, yeah.

Speaker 1 (24:23):
I am her role model, right, I'm her example, yeah, so
yeah.
The other thing, too, that youhad mentioned it.
It was, it was perfect.
I didn't even have to ask thequestion, but you talked about
your, your village of supportand and how important that was.
Did you ever find yourself likefeeling challenged in asking
for the support, or was thatsomething that just came

(24:45):
naturally for you?

Speaker 2 (24:47):
I think I had to get over that pretty quickly Because
I really did need the help.
I really did need the support.
So I don't know that that washard and again I just saw my
daughter thriving.
I mean I had some regularbabysitters for different so I

(25:09):
could be freed up to dodifferent commitments and and
she loved them.
I mean it's like you know wetalked today about the different
and in some cases these wereyounger women that were again
just fun people that she lovedto see and had so much fun.
You know it was.
It was so positive that Iwasn't apologizing that she had

(25:30):
a babysitter.
I guess you know it was like.
It was like, aren't you excited?

Speaker 1 (25:37):
I just think about how there is.
There is an importance ofhaving this um socialization too
, and the socialization can bein a daycare setting.
It can be around other familymembers and other um you know,
cousins, siblings, what have you?
But then, even in a, in acircumstance like this where

(25:59):
you've got a babysitter andyou're carefully selecting who
that babysitter- is right Likethere is there's discernment
about who you're going to havewatching your child, but that
that's a it's.
They're getting these differentage points of socialization
right, like, obviously, with usas parents they're getting that

(26:20):
socialization.

Speaker 2 (26:21):
Yes, yes.

Speaker 1 (26:22):
Daycare, setting it's it's children around the same
age as them.
But then nothing is cooler thanhaving a cool babysitter yes,
exactly, exactly so cool, likeshe's so cool or he's so cool,
like whoever it is right, likethis is cool that's right.

Speaker 2 (26:40):
That's right.
It was so funny there were.
They were like I think'tremember I mean I'm just blocked
right now on the name but she'slike.
I think she looks likeCinderella, like my babysitter
looks like Cinderella.

Speaker 1 (26:50):
We were talking a little bit about.

Speaker 2 (26:51):
Disney, but but that was that was.

Speaker 1 (26:54):
you know, grace was like just in awe of these, these
babysitters, and how cool theywere so something, julia, that I
keep thinking about and want totalk through is you spent this
30 year time period in thecorporate setting and now you
have just recently made thetransition into entrepreneurship

(27:16):
within the past year let's talkabout.
I think the first question Iwant to ask is let's share with
the listeners what it is thatyou're doing now in your
business, your entrepreneurialjourney, and then a follow-up
question to that will be whatare some of those skills that
you pulled from that corporatesetting of 30 years into what

(27:39):
you're doing now?

Speaker 2 (27:40):
Sure, Okay, so my new company is Teal Talent Strategy
and what I do is I work withsmall and medium sized
professional services firms toreduce turnover so that they can
grow.
So my focus is on retention,building culture, building
leadership.

Speaker 1 (28:00):
So those are all the core pieces of how I work with
companies to get to help outnames but I think, just to give

(28:31):
some context and maybe selfishly, I'm asking too for a little
bit more context um, or like,who would be the right person
for us to consider, um, havingyou work with bump into that
type of person?

Speaker 2 (28:46):
I think it's fun because I've worked in a variety
of industries over the yearsand I picked professional
services because and it'scompanies when I say
professional services I meanaccounting, finance civil
engineering was more recentlywhere I worked IT services, it
software development,cybersecurity, so those types of

(29:08):
organizations that aretypically probably 50, 30 to 50
people, maybe up to 100 people.
Typically, those companieseither have an administrative HR
person or more of a junior HRperson.
And when these founders aregetting ready to take those big
steps, to grow and have somemomentum, they need good HR

(29:30):
advice.
And so, and in many cases I'mfinding I went into this
business thinking I was going towork with companies that were
struggling with turnover.
What I'm finding is companiesthat are reaching out to me are
those that have good culturesnow and don't want to lose it as
they grow.
So that's that's really.
You know, they look ahead andgo gosh.
When we add more people in themix, it's going to change the

(29:53):
company.
And how do we set up um theright processes, programs, um
environment so that when peoplecome in they know what they're
joining.
Environment so that when peoplecome in, they know what they're
joining.
We have alignment and thecompanies are successful in
thriving from that how cool itis.

Speaker 1 (30:11):
I love it.
I mean it's I'm sure thatthere's an aspect of like oh,
it'd be so amazing to be able togo in and just tidy it up,
right.

Speaker 2 (30:23):
Like I want to tidy this up and this is going to be
so cool to tidy this up myorganizational skills on
overload Right.

Speaker 1 (30:28):
Yeah, but I think also, it's like the forward
thinking like good on thosefounders, by the way, to
recognize that as they arescaling, there is a strong
possibility of the culturedynamic shifting and they do not

(30:49):
want that Because, like thatwould mean then that they would
have to hire you in a completelydifferent way and that would
also mean lack of trust.
That's right, like trust hasbeen broken and having to
rebuild that trust is morechallenging than you know.
Being proactive and going, Iwant to.

(31:10):
I want to ensure that wecontinue to maintain this
incredible culture that we'veworked so hard to.
That's right.
That's right, and thesefounders.

Speaker 2 (31:18):
I mean they put you know again now that I am my own
founder.
I mean I know the blood, sweatand tears you put into building
something and building somethingthat's special and different,
that stands out.
I mean, I mean I have, I haveenjoyed so much as my circle of
founders and CEOs and managingdirectors has gotten bigger,

(31:39):
because I I just love theconversations the passion for
the business, the passion forthe people, the passion for the
people, Professional servicesand the reason that's my
specialty is because it's directservice to clients.
And in many cases there's a, youknow, a direct connection
between you keep your talent,you keep your clients, because

(32:00):
it's it's a one for onerelationship.
So I just, and again, I, andgenerally almost all the clients
I, I I have, and that I, youknow, my, my ideal profile is
analytical introverts, like I.
I just, I love, I loveanalytical introverts and that
those are my people and and asI've looked back when I was, you

(32:23):
know, because you get to decidewho you want to work with when
you're building a business, andI totally and that's really, I
mean, that's the profile thatI've had the most success with
and I just think it's it's themost fun going in and working
with them on these culture,culture and growth issues.

Speaker 1 (32:39):
So cool.
And you, you did actuallyanswer the second part of that
question too, which was likewhat are the skills, like the
organization?
Sure, is there anything elsethat you wanted to add?

Speaker 2 (32:50):
I would say you know, I have deep HR skills.
I mean certainly, I mean after30 years, and I've worked in
multiple industries and multipleroles doing a lot of different
things.
So as I was deciding to build abusiness, it's like, okay, well
, I know, I know HR you know,for sure, like I know I have,

(33:12):
that my question and my concernswere more about the business
building part of it, I mean Imean it's like it's like that
was.
That was my concern.
But when I was deciding becauseI was when I made the decision
to leave corporate and I didtake a little bit of time off.
Originally when I left, I wasnot planning to start a business

(33:32):
, I was just going to be acontractor or consultant working
for other firms.

Speaker 1 (33:37):
Contractor like in a fractional way, yeah, or getting
placed by someone else.

Speaker 2 (33:41):
If someone else sell the work I go in and do the work
.
Gotcha placed by someone else.
If someone else sell the work,I go in and do the work.
And I really had a moment ofreflection to say why am I so
afraid to do this myself, likewhat you know?
Other people do this, why notme?
And so I really had to reflecton what skills do I have, you

(34:02):
know, to give myself the I guess, the courage or the confidence
to say, rather than goingthrough someone else to find
work, what if I do it myself,what if I build it for myself?
And as I thought about it,relationship building has always
been a strength, so I'm astrong relationship builder.
I thought I was a good networker.

(34:23):
Now I, I, I've had to improvethose skills.
Like, like, corporatenetworking is very different
than entrepreneurial networking.
And I, I, I.
I guess I didn't know what Ididn't know at the time, but
again, I, I am, I am constantlyreflecting, learning and I'm
willing to be uncomfortable.
That was kind of the like like,okay, I'm willing to be in

(34:44):
situations I've never been inand do things I've never done
and take the leap.

Speaker 1 (34:50):
I'm literally looking at the timestamp right now
going.
This is the quote Like it's I'mnot even joking you like what
the heck it was like.
There is absolutely a level ofuncomfort that you have to be
willing to go to if you want tobe an entrepreneur.

(35:12):
Yes, julie, I'm experiencing itevery single day and I'm not
even joking you when I sayhumble pie in some regards, when
it comes to what that lookslike, like in, and what I mean
let me give you an example islike for the event, like
reaching out for sponsorship orreaching out to have somebody

(35:36):
like ask them hey, are youwilling to donate?
You know X amount of dollars, xamount of dollars.
I had to go.
What's my purpose and vision inall of this?
I want to get all of thesewomen in one room and if I'm
going to do that, I need to haveother people there.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
I need to have sponsorship I need like.
I do this is the obstacle toget to that vision or purpose or
goal.

Speaker 1 (36:03):
And am I willing to get uncomfortable to meet that
end goal?
Yes, if I'm not, then thatmeans the event's not happening.
That's right, right.

Speaker 2 (36:14):
Well, I thought that, you know, I think this was as I
.
I mean, I appreciate thisopportunity to talk to you about
it because it really gave me apoint to pause, to reflect and
be like, okay, what has changedin me over the last six months
as I've gotten this started, andI thought that my skills and

(36:37):
experience were going to be thegame changer in my success.
Right, I mean the resume.
I thought my resume was goingto be the game changer in my
success.
Doing this, I was shocked tofind out that mindset has been.
It's my mindset that has beenthe game changer in my success,

(36:58):
like it is.
I mean my HR skills certainlyI've got those.
I'm confident I can do that.
But learning to have a businessdevelopment conversation that
has as much mindset as it isconversational technique and I
thought again, I looked ateverything I think a little bit

(37:20):
more concretely like learn theformula, get the results, and
it's it's as much about I've gotto, I've got to go into it, and
I mean I have to, I have togrow, I have to change, and the
more I continue to invest inmyself and grow personally, the

(37:41):
better connections I make withpeople, the more referrals I get
.
The more comfortable clientsare working with me, more
quickly, I mean, the morequickly we get to solutions.
So I just know I had it allwrong and I am learning day by
day.
Like here's a funny thing andand I brought a lot of garbage

(38:03):
from corporate into it as welllike in corporate, things are
very hierarchical and you knowwhere, what's your title, where
do you stand, who do you reportto, what's your authority level,
all those things.
And so I really you know, andI'm a you know you show me the
rules, I'll play the right.
So I was all in on that.

(38:25):
Like I am all you know.
I have this mental hierarchy inmy mind and what I found is I
was carrying that into anentrepreneurship and I was.
I would network with somebodyin my mind, I would evaluate are
they above me, are they peer,are they below?
Like I would do thehierarchical assessment and it
would, and I didn't realize it,but it was changing how I talk

(38:47):
to people and I've beenfortunate enough to work with a
coach who was like, just was,like you know, julie, you know
what would happen if you wentinto these conversations, just
being equal to everyone to takea moment to say no matter who
you're talking to, no matterwhat their title, background,
experience, try that experimentlike try talking to people like

(39:12):
they're your peers, rather thanthis garbage that you've got
from corporate and it's.
It was game changer.
I bet it was crazy and it waslike I I had to switch how I
thought about it and the resultswere different.

Speaker 1 (39:30):
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.
So our conversation is taking alittle bit more of an
interesting turn in such areally amazing and profound way,
because we're talking aboutreally some of those like
intricate details and grooves ofbecoming an entrepreneur

(39:51):
Overhead of all of that mindset,right, peeling back the onion
layers.
I think that the core of all ofthat, too, is like, as you
continue to peel back thoseonion layers, to peel back those
onion layers, you get to theroot of who you are as a person
authentically.
Authentically, and in a worldthat can feel like it is

(40:13):
sometimes very inauthentic,people are craving authenticity,
craving it, I agree, and sowhen you can show up in that way
, it's like to your point, it'sa game changer and people want

(40:37):
to work with you for like beingtruly authentic and talking to
them like you know, peer to peer, that's right Like holy cats
and dogs.
Are you hitting like?
I'm sure that this isresonating with a lot of
individuals who are listeningright now, it's, I mean it's
been, but it's scary all thesame.

Speaker 2 (40:53):
Right, I mean, it's terrifying, like it's it's.
And you know, I, I do, you know, and again, as I've been doing
this, I, I am putting myself outthere on social media.
I'm putting out my opinions outin newsletters.
I'm, you know, reaching out topeople and many of them don't
respond.
Right, I mean, you do coldoutreach.
People don't respond, oh forsure.

(41:13):
I mean, so it's, it's like it's, it's, it's this.
I've had to to just be okay andand act as if success is
inevitable, like I've had tojust decide.
This is my business, this iswhat I have to offer, and my

(41:35):
people will find me Totally Like.
The people that I can help willfind me, and I'm just going to
continue to be open and helpfulto everyone I meet.
I love that me and I'm justgoing to continue to be open and
helpful to everyone I meet.
So that is that has been, hasworked for me in this process so
far.

Speaker 1 (41:52):
I have so many different avenues that I would
like to go down, but I'm justgoing to go with what my gut is
telling me right now.
So I think a lot of what youare speaking to right now is um,
one authenticity right, andintentionality too, um, but I am
curious what?
It's probably not what you'rewhere you think I'm going to go,

(42:15):
but I'm curious.
What have been like guidingprinciples for you, be it faith
or spirituality, or like theuniverse calling and sort of
like everything's pullingtowards you at that point?
What has that looked like foryou?

Speaker 2 (42:32):
Sure, Sure, I'll have to think a moment.
I think the first principle,the whole reason I did this
originally, or the thing thatcalled the question for me to
make the jump toentrepreneurship, was the job I
had been in was a great job.

(42:53):
The company got bought byprivate equity, started to scale
really quickly and my job gotso busy I was working nights and
nights and weekends and Imissed out on a lot of my
daughter's junior year of highschool, Like it.
Just I just wasn't present inthe way that I wanted to be

(43:15):
because of the demands of work,and that called the question for
me one more time on what wasimportant.
And I and I did look around forother jobs.
But even as I did that, I, Iwould interview for other jobs
and I would feel sick to mystomach after the interviews
because I was just like this isnot it, Like something in me

(43:41):
fundamentally shifted about workand contribution and what, what
was next.
And so I, you know I, I, youknow I, I do, I believe in my
belief system.
That's how my higher power, God, speaks to me is like I get

(44:02):
those internal nudges, I getthose internal pushes and I had
the push to say I don't want tomiss out on my daughter's senior
year of high school.
Like I don't want to miss outanymore, cause I would be at her
softball.
She's a competitive softballplayer.
I'd be at softball tournamentsnegotiating compensation deals
while she's at bat and I'd be,you know, pacing in the back on

(44:25):
the phone and I was like I, Ijust this is not what I want,
this is not it, this is not.
I can't do this anymore.
I just, I was done.
I've I've been there.

Speaker 1 (44:34):
Yes, and I, literally I can feel myself getting
pulled to what you're speakingto right now, julie.
Again, I, without a shadow of adoubt, I know that there is at
least one woman listening rightnow.
That is like yep, yep, beenthere and the feelings that are

(44:55):
evoked in that given momentyou're like damn, oh God, like
all the curse words are comingout of, like you're thinking
those in your mind and you'relike this is important, but
that's more important, but thisis important, like how I can't
tell them right now, in thisgiven moment, like, sorry, I got
to get off the phone.
My daughter's up to bat.

Speaker 2 (45:14):
That's right, that's right, right, yes, so it's so
it's.

Speaker 1 (45:19):
It's really a conundrum place to be.

Speaker 2 (45:21):
It really was a painful part, but that's where
the change came from.
And I just feel, like you know,I just have this belief that I
think lessons are put in frontof us until we learn them, like
I just feel, like you know, andI just get this lesson of what's
important, what's important,what's your values?

(45:42):
And then the fact that I didfeel like when I was
interviewing for similarcorporate jobs, I felt like that
door was closed.
You know, I just there'ssomething in me that just said
that's not it either, which wasa scary spot, because I had to
take that leap of faith to say,well, I don't really know what's
next, but that forced me tostart exploring it and it gave

(46:08):
me because I am not a risk takerby nature at least historically
I've not been and that's whycorporate was good for me.
It was structured andpredictable and annual goals and
regular processes and again.
But something in me hasfundamentally shifted and I
wanted something else and I feltlike I was on the path to be

(46:31):
something else.
So so I've just had this senseand again, just as I hear myself
ready to say this, I'm like, ohmy goodness, but I just have
this sense that this is what I'msupposed to do.
I just feel like this is so.
I haven't questioned it.
I've certainly had a hundredinsecurities.

(46:51):
I mean, build a business islike insecurity on steroids is
like uh, insecurity on steroids.
I mean I have felt everyinsecure insecurity about myself
, but what I have to offer likeis anyone going to hire me?
You know like I've had everytalk track negative talk track
in my head throughout the wholeprocess and when that happens I

(47:14):
always go back to but this iswhat I'm supposed to do so.

Speaker 1 (47:18):
I was reading something earlier today about
when we have a vision and we'reso clear on it.
It does not matter the negativeself-talk that's happening
periodically or an opinion comesfrom some sort of outside
influence, it doesn't matter,Cause if your vision is so

(47:41):
crystal clear, you go.
I'm gonna have to sneeze, Holycow.

Speaker 2 (47:50):
Part of me wants to just keep this in.
It is so hard not to drink.
Drink my water into themicrophone Like yeah, it's.

Speaker 1 (47:59):
And if you do, it's okay, like, um, but that's,
there is something about thattoo.
Like when you have, when you'reso crystal clear about what
that vision is for your business, for motherhood, like it
doesn't matter all of the stuffthat's happening on the outside,
because you're going to, you'regoing to, you're not going to

(48:19):
falter, you're not going tofalter off of that path to lead
you to what that next point ofthat vision is.
And I think about this incontext to what you're saying,
right, like, do we all have ourinsecurities?
Yes, check.
Do we all have our doubts?
Yes, check.
But there is something tooabout alignment.

(48:42):
Like, when you feel out ofalignment, you feel unclear, you
feel like that vision is so on,it's like there's mist in front
, right.
But when you start to realignwith what really is actually
going to be important and getthis, julie, like, all I keep
thinking about is sometimes ittakes our children to give us

(49:05):
that friendly reminder.

Speaker 2 (49:07):
Isn't that interesting?
Because I did this ultimatelyto be with Grace.
I mean, really, grace calledthe question on that for me and
you know, even though it's justbecause I just didn't want to
miss out this year.
And I'll tell you what'sinteresting, like even I didn't
even realize again, I, you know,I've been this corporate

(49:28):
executive but I am a bad peoplepleaser and I did not realize it
.
I mean, you know, join the club.
I mean seriously like it's like,oh yeah card carrying member of
the People Pleaser Club and youknow.
Here's an example of how I'mhaving to change.
So a couple weeks ago was highschool graduation and my

(49:50):
daughter since she's reallyactive in softball, the local
high school team went to stateand that was happening at the
same time as high school teamwent to went to state.
So, and that was happening atthe same time as high school
graduation.
So the week was basicallygraduation, tournament games
back and forth from here toMankato, which, if you're not
from the area is about an hourand a half away.

(50:13):
My parents were in town forgraduation, my sister was in
town for graduation, so it wasan incredibly busy week.
Yeah, and I had a call, I hadan opportunity to meet with a
prospect, a really great clientprospect, who said, hey, I'm
available this Thursday to meetfor coffee.
And during that week and I knowmyself, the old me would have

(50:40):
done gymnastics on the schedule,like would have would have
probably, you know, had myparents drive down separately, I
would have met with theprospect.

Speaker 1 (50:54):
I would have like driven down there with my hair
on fire.

Speaker 2 (50:57):
I would have been, you know, listening to the game
on the way.
I would have done all that andI know this doesn't sound that
radical, but I just said I can'tmeet this week.
Can you know?
This is what's going on.
Can we meet next week?
And that that, for me, was hugeCause I I know, the old me, the

(51:17):
corporate me, would have donewhatever to make that meeting
work.
The new me that I'm becoming inthis entrepreneurial role, my
priorities matter, my being at agame and being available and
again spending time with my evenmy parents, as they were here.

(51:38):
I just carved out that week andenjoyed the week with my
parents and picked up theentrepreneurial work the next
week and it made no differenceon my, you know, had a great
call with the prospect the otherday or the other day and it's
all good.
But, yes, I don't know why Ididn't feel like I could make

(52:00):
that decision before.
That's me, that's me, that's mypeople pleasing, that's my
stuff.
And I have had to step intoleading myself as an
entrepreneur in a way that again, I just it's.
I'm amazed at the person I'mbecoming through this process.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
Well, you know, to go back to what kind of initially
sparked this, is that moment intime like watching and maybe it
took a few other moments in timeas well but like you're at a
sports activity, walking backand forth, as you know, our,
your child is up to bat, or youknow, in a, in a kind of cool

(52:44):
critical moment of that game andwe're missing it, right, you
know what I mean.
Like, I think.
I think we can all say at onepoint or another, we've been
there, whether it was because ofa business thing or it was like
we were going to the bathroomthere, whether it was because of
a business thing, or it waslike we were going to the
bathroom.
you know, like we've all beenthere, we have all been there,
but it is our child.

(53:07):
Like our child was placed inour life for a reason.

Speaker 2 (53:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (53:10):
Be it God, be it the universe, whatever, but our
children are our children,forever and ever and ever, and
they give us these humblereminders of what actually is
important.
Right.
And for you, julie, like whatI'm hearing, is you were like I
missed so much in a period oftime that something was shaken

(53:36):
inside of me to go I can'tcontinue to do this Right, and
that started this trajectory,and for some people that
trajectory takes longer thanothers.
But no matter what, it startsthis like series of events that
lead us to going intoentrepreneurship.

Speaker 2 (53:56):
That's right, and I couldn't be happier with my
decision.
It's still scary.
I mean, I'm still very early on.
It's still a building process.
Again, I'm really enjoying it alot.

Speaker 1 (54:08):
And.

Speaker 2 (54:08):
I, I even started off thinking, oh, I'll just, you
know, I'll be a solopractitioner and I, even my
dreams have started to change abit to say, you know, I, my, I'm
starting to dream a little bitlike, okay, I think I could
build something, I think I couldhave a small team, I think I
could have a bigger impact.
And and so you know, even as my,my, my confidence is building,

(54:34):
even my goals for the businessand what I think is possible
continues to build.
And and just you know, mypersonal objective is to find a
way to work less than full timehours in this as well.
So you know that is also one ofthe objectives I have is to
again.
Initially it's not that.

Speaker 1 (54:56):
It is not that, it's not that.
Quite the contrary.

Speaker 2 (54:59):
But my goal is.
I've been looking ahead and,with the systems I'm putting in
place and the type of work Iwant to do and the kind of
trying to create repeatableresults, I've been building with
that in mind.

Speaker 1 (55:12):
Like.
How do I?

Speaker 2 (55:13):
build this so I can go for a walk in the afternoon
if I want.
So it's, I can go for a walk inthe afternoon if I want, or I
can you know, my daughter isgoing to be playing Division II
softball at Bemidji State.
I can't.

Speaker 1 (55:25):
I'm so excited for her, you know I want to be at
those games.

Speaker 2 (55:32):
I want to be.
She's going to be playingagainst local teams and regional
teams.
I want to jump in the car andgo see that and be able to do my
business from anywhere as I dothat.
So I have these ideas and goalsand dreams about what it's
going to be.

Speaker 1 (55:44):
Which is very important when building a
business is like okay, there youdo reach a point where you you
go.
I, I need.
I need support, like it can'tjust be me solo wearing all of
these hats anymore.
I need to have, and this is why, like, this is my timeline.

(56:04):
I want to be able to retire atthis point or I want to, in the
next year, be able to pour intomy child's like activities in
college.
And that's going to require meto be, you know, X, Y, Z, Right?
Yes, exactly, Exactly.
So I I want to go back to,because you brought up something

(56:25):
really interesting and it'saround people pleasing.
But then, above and beyond that, it's this concept of setting
boundaries for yourself.
Yes, Right.
And I think that so many of usthat are our mompreneurs, so to
speak have to like we've got tolearn what boundary setting
looks like, and sometimes welearn it the hard way yes,

(56:48):
exactly.
And sometimes we bump into thatand go, oh, I didn't like that,
and it wasn't necessarily likea tough lesson, but it was just
like we're not, I'm not going togo there.
I just don't, and I can foreseethat that might be where this is
going Hard boundary like lineis being drawn in the sand right
now, and that's my hardboundary Right, and so I love

(57:09):
that you brought that up,because almost every single
episode, almost every singleguest, the concept of boundaries
is talked about.
Yes, and it's hard, it'simportant.

Speaker 2 (57:22):
Yes, it's important, but difficult and I and I think
this process has helped me.
Again, being an entrepreneurhas helped me kind of put a
spotlight on how important theyare and how little experience I
have setting them so, so, um.

(57:42):
So one of the things I I'mdoing it is around scheduling
boundaries, so that's where I'mstarting.
That's where I'm starting, is mytime, because, um, you know I
started, you know I'm an all inperson, right?
So I started when I launched mybusiness, I started reaching
out, my network and networkingand I think I met 250 people in

(58:05):
four months.
Like like I, yeah, I did a lotof networking.
It's like you tell me tonetwork, I'm gonna network, I
will network, and but what Ifound is that some point that
needed to change.
I couldn't be this kind ofscattershot you want to meet,
sure, we'll meet, let's do thisand have like meeting, meeting,

(58:25):
meeting and break and anothermeeting.
And so I really, as of thismonth, I sat down and I did an
ideal schedule exercise.

Speaker 1 (58:36):
I don't know if you've ever done that yeah.

Speaker 2 (58:38):
I did ideal schedule exercise.
Yeah, I don't know if you'veever done that, but I, yeah, I
did.
And I really because I wantedto set up.
You know, when do I work on myclient work, when do I network,
when do I do my marketing, whendo I do my administration?
Because all of it has to cometogether in order to make the
business work.
And so I really sat down andblocked out start time, end

(58:59):
times and made sure that mixworked and implemented it about
a week ago, kind of officially,and I have really had to say so.
I have plenty of time fornetworking with people.
It's just not every day and it'swithin the frame, the framework
that works for me and Icertainly can make exceptions to

(59:21):
that, I certainly do but thathas been a really great place to
start.
And here's what's funny too Iwas doing the corporate grind
schedule that I used to do, andI was just doing that as an
entrepreneur and I was like,wait a second, that was not what
I wanted.
So like I made the decision.

(59:42):
This is not that radical, butfor me it was that two days a
week I'm going to walk on mytreadmill in the morning and
then start my day at nine.
It was like I know you'relaughing, I'm laughing too, but
like why did I think, what wasthe barrier to me doing that the

(01:00:05):
last five months?
I don't know, I get it, I mean.

Speaker 1 (01:00:11):
I totally get it.
I mean, I was like I couldn't.

Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
I just had this moment, like I wish I would find
myself thinking to myself Iwish I had time to work out.
I can't believe I just had thismoment.
I wish I would find myselfthinking to myself I wish I had
time to work out, I can'tbelieve I'm so busy networking,
blah, blah, blah.
Then I was like I am my ownboss, I set the schedule.
What is?

Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
We don't know what we don't know until we know in the
moment, and then we do better.

Speaker 2 (01:00:37):
Oh gosh.

Speaker 1 (01:00:38):
So I'm not laughing at you, I promise.

Speaker 2 (01:00:42):
No, no with me.

Speaker 1 (01:00:43):
I'm laughing with you because again, I myself very
much was, and I was just talkingabout this and I can't remember
who I was talking about it with, but I recall like being making
a transition into the mortgageworld, right, and this was back

(01:01:04):
in 2017.
Prior to that, I was in more ofa corporate setting, working
for a property managementcompany on the sales and
marketing side, and it was verylike there was a set schedule.
Okay, so like I had to be at aproperty by call it nine o'clock
or sorry, business hoursstarted at nine o'clock, I best

(01:01:27):
be at the property to walk theproperty at least a half an hour
early to make sure thateverything was like tour, route
was good, there wasn't garbage,there wasn't poop on the ground
from a dog or something like.
Whatever it might be Cause.

Speaker 2 (01:01:42):
I had to do that.
Yes, but I had to do that.

Speaker 1 (01:01:45):
Right.
So when I made the transitioninto mortgage, it literally,
literally took me probably ayear to undo that sort of
routine and schedule and torealize I could get up earlier

(01:02:07):
if I wanted to and start my dayearlier if I wanted to that's up
to me which meant that I couldprobably end a little bit
earlier if I wanted to.

Speaker 2 (01:02:17):
If you chose, I learned very quickly.

Speaker 1 (01:02:19):
That's not how the mortgage world works.
Like you're literally justworking like pretty much all the
time.

Speaker 2 (01:02:24):
You're on call, you have to set the boundaries and
you are on call.

Speaker 1 (01:02:27):
Typically it's evenings and weekends.

Speaker 2 (01:02:29):
Sure.

Speaker 1 (01:02:29):
Right, okay, so you don't know what you don't know
until you get to that point ofunderstanding like, oh, and then
something just clicks andyou're like, okay, now we're
going to pivot with what theschedule looks like.
That's right, and there'sseasonalities of what the
schedule and that routine lookslike too.
But, like I just did thatreflection point within the last

(01:02:50):
like day or two, of what thattransition looked like.
And even so, and I thinkprobably what prompted it, julie
, was, as we've made this flipfrom the chapter of school year
ending to summer schedule.

Speaker 2 (01:03:04):
Summer is crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:03:05):
Like.
I think that that was whatprompted me to think and do this
reflection backwards of likewhen else has this been like a
challenge?
And then all of a sudden youjust get into the rhythm.
You're like, ah, this is it,that's right, that's right.

Speaker 2 (01:03:17):
That's right.
And again, right now I'm in themiddle of, you know, again
enjoying the final summer ofclub softball and traveling and
all of those things, so it'skind of that bittersweet still
be available.
You know that my, you know myschedule is still, um, you know,
prioritized around mydaughter's plans, um.
But but you know, I, I, I justthink it was so funny to realize

(01:03:42):
how programmed I had been and Ialmost felt like I needed
permission to change my schedulefor myself.

Speaker 1 (01:03:53):
And then you're going crickets.
There's nobody around me,telling me exactly what I need
to do with my schedule.
It's up to me.

Speaker 2 (01:04:00):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (01:04:01):
It's liberating, right it is.
Scary but also liberating.

Speaker 2 (01:04:04):
There was a freedom to it.
I had a good laugh and it waslike who's your bad boss that's
making you work all these hours?

Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
It's like me I am the bad boss that's doing all that
these hours.

Speaker 2 (01:04:19):
It's like me.
You know I am the bad bossthat's doing all that.
So so it's, it's been, it'sbeen.
Uh, like I said, I think Ithink the personal development
journey of the whole thing hasbeen different than I expected
and I am.

Speaker 1 (01:04:30):
I'm enjoying it, but it is.

Speaker 2 (01:04:31):
it is not what I thought I mean.

Speaker 1 (01:04:34):
it is different than I thought, so interesting, like,
in terms of expectations, towrite the expectations of what
you thought it was going to looklike versus the realities of
what it actually does.
That's right.
Look like and even so like, howthat can continue to ebb and
flow and change, as, as your,your, your business will

(01:04:56):
certainly make this transitionfrom being in its baby phase.

Speaker 2 (01:05:01):
That's right, yes.

Speaker 1 (01:05:03):
Now it's a toddler and it's um walking around and
talking and all of the greatgrand things to really get the
the.
As I like to say with Maddie,the synapses are really like
firing right now.
That's right, the neurons arefiring and and then there's
going to be another transition,another transition and you sort

(01:05:23):
of level set what yourexpectations were versus what
they need to be.

Speaker 2 (01:05:28):
That's right, that's right so okay.

Speaker 1 (01:05:32):
So the podcast, as you know the name of it, is
reclaiming your hue.

Speaker 2 (01:05:36):
And.

Speaker 1 (01:05:36):
I feel like you have, um, in many ways talked about
this, this sort of like identityshift that has happened for you
and a liberation and a a kindof reclaiming of a different
coloring of yourself too.
But I want to, I want to ask youback in those earlier corporate

(01:06:01):
years Um, I shouldn't sayearlier corporate years, so like
when you first had yourdaughter, and were there shifts
that happened to you internallyas a woman, where you were like
I don't feel like myself anymoreand like how do I get back to
some semblance of who I am, thisdifferent version of myself?

(01:06:22):
Right, because there is amassive shift that happens to us
internally from thatindependent person over here
that could do and go and bewherever at the drop of a hat,
right, and you spoke to thiswhere, like the schedule, like

(01:06:43):
the conduciveness of theschedule, was this pre-baby and
now it was all right.
Well, daycare starts at thistime and ends at this time, and
you know baby's feeding scheduleand all of this stuff, and then
the shift into toddler and thenthe shift into, you know, being
a little bit more independentas a child.
But all through, all of that isthe essence of us as women.

(01:07:08):
Yes, right and who we are now,as Julie and Kelly, but also mom
, yes, as well.
So I want to talk through, likesome of what you personally
were feeling and how you workedthrough maybe some of those
tougher, challenging moments,and how you were reclaiming some

(01:07:31):
of that coloring back.

Speaker 2 (01:07:33):
I think it's been a good exercise in just saying
what's good enough.
What's good enough, I mean I, Imean I think about.
You know we talk about.
I have have had to just acceptthe fact my house is an is
average clean.
It is not really clean, youknow um.

(01:07:54):
I have had to, yeah, I mean it'slike I have had to, like I just
just remember and this was my,this was a way I was operating
that leaders would talk to meabout.
I felt like I was.
I had to do 110% to feel like Iwas average, if that makes
sense.
I had to feel like I was doingextra, to feel like there's

(01:08:21):
always been this gap.
It's really interesting becauseI come across as confident.
I'm generally confident in whatI do, but there is something in
me that feels like I got toprove something, feels like I
got to do more.
And even before I had Grace, itwas you know I would do.

(01:08:41):
I would put all this extrabells and whistles on a project
and like present it, and then Iget all this great feedback and
recognition for doing the extrawork.
And I finally had a boss thatsat me down and said you know,
Julie, as your career grows, youcan't keep doing this.
She's like I would rather haveyou do 80% work on five things

(01:09:06):
than 120% on two.
And she's like, as your scopeand as your life gets bigger,
you're going to have to learnhow to be okay doing less and
not have someone else bring thatout in you.
You're going to have tomoderate.
So it's like that idea ofmoderating and at the time I was

(01:09:27):
upset because I was like whatdo you mean?
Do you think I should not do mybest work?
But it was really like shecared about me enough to say
you're me managing big teams,you're gonna have these big
projects, and if you're tryingto hit perfect or beyond perfect
on everything you do, it'sunsustainable.
And I say that as you weretalking.

(01:09:50):
That's the story that came tomind, because that's true with
parenting too.
It's like I had to adopt that,not only as my job got better,
bigger, but as my life gotbigger through parenting.
And so that's why it's like Iyou know, I have dogs.
I aspire to be an average dogowner, like I mean, like I am a.

(01:10:13):
I would say I am.
The dogs are fine, they're ingood shape, they're average,
they've got a home.
Yes, exactly, exactly.
I am not an over.

Speaker 1 (01:10:18):
Fine, they're in good shape.
They're average.
They've got a home.
Yes, exactly, care of theirexactly.

Speaker 2 (01:10:22):
I am not an overachiever as a dog owner,
like, like, and I've had to pick.
You know where in Grace's lifeam I really going to show up and
be like?
You know where am I going toreally be all in and it's like
but, like I told you, like I, Iwould.
I would forget to bring thecookies, or I would you know you
think of all the things inschool.
Like I, I would.
I would forget to bring thecookies, or I would you know you
think of all the things inschool like I would.
I would often be the parentthat you know was filling out

(01:10:44):
the form at the last minute, orwas you know?
She almost missed the fieldtrip because I do.
I mean like, and I just had tobe okay with that, like, that's
like I am not going to be theoverachiever mom, like I'm going
to be a good mom that is therefor her, that loves her, but I
am not.
Like I don't really cook andI've had to accept I don't

(01:11:07):
really like to cook, and so wehave a good time picking out
restaurants or getting takeoutRight and so, and that's okay.
Like I'm not, I've had to justkind of on everything in my life
.
I, I don't.
I didn't realize how much Ijudged myself and so and so
being a parent magnified thatbecause, again, I love my

(01:11:32):
daughter so much.
I want her to have everythingin the world and I want her to
have the best life and the bestexperience At the same time.
If she doesn't experience somehardship, you know, she's not
going to develop in the way sheneeds to develop too.
I can't protect her fromeverything either, so I've had
to.
It's been a lesson of goodenough and being gentle on

(01:11:53):
myself and finding ways just toand and to, and and again.
The happy ending of the storyis like being average or good
enough works out well.

Speaker 1 (01:12:07):
Right, I mean it is like there's a good ending to
the story, you know somethingthat I think of too and, um,
it's kind kind of it'sparalleling what you're saying,
right, it's, you're consistent.
You are a consistent person,right, yeah, like you
consistently do, the things toget you to where you need to go,

(01:12:29):
and you understand that they'redifferent seasons require you
to kind of level up with whatthat consistency is now going to
look like, right, yeah, andthere is also folded into all of
that is grace for yourself.
Yes.

Speaker 2 (01:12:47):
As a mother.

Speaker 1 (01:12:48):
Yes, exactly and as, like, who you are, like I think
about that in context to me too.
Like I've had to go just giveyourself some grace, kelly, yeah
, like, yes, julie is going tobe okay because she's also a
mother too.
Like I've had to go just giveyourself some grace, kelly, yeah
, like, yes, julie is going tobe okay because she's also a
mother too and she gets, youknow, managing a household plus
yourself.
Like, sometimes you just got tolet this happen over here, the

(01:13:13):
way that it's going to, and beokay with it.

Speaker 2 (01:13:16):
That's right.
That's right and it's like andagain I want to be.
I think the things that matterare this connection and being
present and all those things.
Again, do I want my house tolook nice?
Yes, but you know, I've gotpaint that needs to be touched

(01:13:36):
up.
I've got siding that haswoodpecker holes.

Speaker 1 (01:13:40):
I've got do you know what I mean Like it's like.

Speaker 2 (01:13:42):
It's like speaking my language right now.

Speaker 1 (01:13:44):
It'll get done, it's okay, you know, I mean it's like
it's okay, it doesn't.

Speaker 2 (01:13:48):
I mean the, the, the things that that matter.
I'm there for it.

Speaker 1 (01:13:52):
The thing you know, I've had to just kind of say
kind of let go of that outsidesurface, what's extra and what's
core, and make those decisions.
And I want to just take amoment because we both live in
Edina.
I think that there's sort ofthis, uh, keeping up with the
Joneses, that you can be pulledinto that.

(01:14:13):
You can totally be pulled intoit and I found myself initially,
when we moved into this house,like we're in a pretty modest
neighborhood and part of Edinaand.
I also think that the neighborsthat we have around us.
They do a really good job ofmaintaining their yards and you

(01:14:33):
know they've got their sprinklersystems and all of this stuff
and they're out there prettyregularly.
And that was just not theseason of life that we were in.
We were moving in I was in mysecond trimester of being
pregnant and I moved and we gotmarried within like a month and
a half of us purchasing thishouse.

(01:14:56):
And then, shortly after that,mad Maddie came, and so I think
back to the pressure that I wasputting on both myself and my
husband like, oh my God, wegotta do something with our yard
, we've got to have the planterspotted and all this stuff.
And then I'm like, hold on asecond.
You literally were in yoursecond trimester, you literally

(01:15:20):
were going to be having a babyand you were planning a wedding
and all of this stuff.
But, like to go back to myoriginal point, is that it's
easy especially if you are in acommunity where there is
affluent, right, it's easy toget caught up in all of that.
That's right.
But then, going okay, hindsight, 2020, like, did it matter that

(01:15:46):
that didn't get done right away, in that very instant, because
I decided that what was a betteruse of my time was being with
my child?
That's right.

Speaker 2 (01:15:58):
And you just have to, I mean, I think, being owning
those decisions being okay it'skind of like it's.
It's what are your values?
Yeah, when are you putting yourtime and being okay with that?
That?
That may or may not line upwith other people Totally and
I'm still working on that, right, Because, again, I am still

(01:16:18):
working on that.

Speaker 1 (01:16:19):
Do you ever follow any of Gary Vee Vanner Tech?

Speaker 2 (01:16:26):
I haven't.

Speaker 1 (01:16:26):
I know who he is, but I have not followed his stuff
he's I mean first and foremost,he'll cuss up a storm, and so
it's kind of funny like you gotto have a little bit of
censorship if you're a littlekids like watching some of his
stuff, especially on socialmedia.
But he, he said something soprofound that I caught um just

(01:16:48):
recently and it was like themoment that you stop giving a
bleep about what other peoplethink about you is the moment
you are set free.
And he and he elaborated onthat and he said we're not in
high school anymore.
Exactly Get out of your headand get out of your way and stop

(01:17:08):
acting like you're still inhigh school.
You're not.
You're not in high schoolanymore.

Speaker 2 (01:17:13):
Nobody cares Well, and you'll find as you get older
you will find that freedom getseven more Like I feel like I
have stepped into my innergeekiness as I've gotten older.
I really do.
I mean it's like I will tellyou, like I.
Part of this journey for me isjust even finding my voice and

(01:17:35):
like what's important to me andlike kind of reexamining what
are my, what are my interestsand I, as I told you, I, you
know I really I'm kind of a nerdat heart and I like working
with nerds and I am a huge StarWars fan.
I've just decided to lean intothat, yeah, um, and I, I went to
Comic-Con.
I've never done that before andinteresting.

(01:17:57):
Yes, yes, and I've heard it's,it's an experience, it was it
was so cool and while I wasthere I was talking to all the
people that were in the StarWars kind of groups.
Yeah, and I was there with my,my boyfriend, and again they
they thought he was the fan.
Cause it's not.
It's a little little more manusually men are more fans than

(01:18:18):
women, but he is not really.
And I was the fan and I was like, wait, and I ended up um,
picking up like this is gonna bemy new hobby is um, there are,
you're just gonna laugh.
But lightsaber battle leagues,like with actual lightsabers,
like with interesting it's likea combination between it's like

(01:18:40):
fencing and longsword, it's kindof between that.
And I have decided I was likeyou know, there was a time I
would have been like, oh, Ican't do that.
What would people think?
Right, yeah, and now I'm like Ithink that's fun.
So I'm going to learn and I'mand I am one of the you know
there's not a lot of women there, I'm one of the older people
there, but everyone's nice andwelcoming and you know I lost my

(01:19:04):
first match, but that's okay,you know.

Speaker 1 (01:19:06):
Like, it's just funny .
It's like locally in the TwinCities.
Yes, this is things this islike so.

Speaker 2 (01:19:12):
So I just have kind of had to say to myself, kind of
had to say to myself I am who Iam, yeah, and that's good
enough for me, and if I getjudged for that, I kind of don't
care.
Now again, I think mydaughter's a little embarrassed
and horrified that I'm in a StarWars like Super.
League but and then I'mactually telling people about it
.

Speaker 1 (01:19:33):
You are broadcasting this on a podcast.
I know I know the level of Idon't care is totally shining
through and I love it.

Speaker 2 (01:19:40):
You know what?
That's what I like, that's whatI enjoy.
Why not?
Why not?
Why not?
Life is short, I'm going toenjoy myself.
My daughter's going to college.
She won't have to watch me dothat anyway, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:19:53):
Okay, it's so funny and part of me is like, do I
actually say this on the podcast, Right?
No, I think I'm going to.
Okay, so I dated a gentleman inthis God, Julie, this was so
long ago and he was.
He was most definitely the theindividual that I dated.

(01:20:14):
That was so incredible, butoutside the typical, uh, mold of
an individual that I wouldtypically do.
Okay, yeah, yes, okay so he wasdifferent than the typical mold
of who I date.
Yes, and he was like a, a supergeek and I thought it was so

(01:20:37):
cute and so adorable.
A super geek and I thought itwas so cute and so adorable and
he would talk about thisComic-Con because he he's in the
record world and he likethere's a lot of that stuff that
happens at Comic-Con too.

Speaker 2 (01:20:50):
It's very artistic.

Speaker 1 (01:20:51):
Yeah, there's a lot of art, so he like, was coming
up on Comic-Con and he's like,oh my God, it'd be so incredible
for you to come to Comic-Conwith me.
And we were kind of early inour relationship.
So I was like, do I want totravel with this person?
Cause it's kind of a big dealand, second of all, I don't know
what this Comic-Con thing isand it's not really the world
that I've been like, it'sdifferent.
But when he came back, it likehe's been he had been to

(01:21:14):
Comic-Con like so many years,like leading up to that point,
so he's like it's the coolestexperience and he came back, we
got together and he was tellingme about how fun it was and I
was like, wow, that does soundreally cool.

Speaker 2 (01:21:28):
Yeah, it was.
I mean again, it's just, it'sjust an you know, you just it's
just fun.

Speaker 1 (01:21:33):
It's just fun, like I haven't.

Speaker 2 (01:21:35):
You know I haven't done and I don't know that I'll
ever do like that.
A lot of people do thecostuming and all that stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:21:41):
This was just.
I just wanted to.

Speaker 2 (01:21:43):
you know they had people who had written Star Wars
books there that were speaking.
I got to hear that, so I justgot to kind of have.

Speaker 1 (01:21:51):
it was just fun that we are both on this podcast
right now, probably sharingsomething that's a relatively
new concept for the individualswho are going to be listening to
our podcast episode, like I'mcertain, because I've got my
regular listeners, and even myhusband will probably listen to

(01:22:11):
this and go what?
I didn't know that you datedsomebody who was into, like
comic con and all that.

Speaker 2 (01:22:16):
No great people comic stuff um, yeah, so it's.
It's probably a new um, a newlearning you know, and here's
what, here's what I think.
We all have layers, you know,you talk about reclaiming your
hue and it was like I, I, I getto decide what my hue is.
Right, I mean it's like that'skind of like you.
You know, as I and I think youknow, being a mom and you know I

(01:22:40):
I've successfully raised ahuman like she's.
She's going to college likeshe's.
You know, I've kind of.
I mean, I don't stop being amom, but like she's, she's an
adult now.
Yeah, she's an adult and I I'vehad to look around and say, well
, what is this new version of megoing to be?
And this new version is anentrepreneur.

(01:23:01):
This version has a voice.
This version has boundaries.
This version has a actuallyworks out twice a day, you know,
twice a week, in the morning,on her own terms.
I mean, it's like I've justkind of had to say and you know,
I love sci-fi fantasy, and it'slike why?
So that's, that's who I am,that's the you.
You know it is.

Speaker 1 (01:23:19):
And it's wonderful that you are totally embracing
that Right, and I'm sure thatit's.
There's a liberation that comeswith going I'm I'm done like
hiding behind the proverbialveil, so to speak, right.
Like this is.
This is the new me that I'mstepping into.
I've started to peel back theonion layers.

(01:23:40):
I've I've been doing that workRight.
And there is this shift thathappens, like we talked about
the shift early on, about whenyou become a mom, that identity
shift that happens.
There is something that happenstoo when you step into an
entrepreneurial space and all ofa sudden, there's like just a

(01:24:03):
for lack of better words amassive shift that starts to
happen.
And it's because you're goingwhat do I need to unlearn?
Okay, unlearn, we're unlearning.
Great, I'm through that periodof time.
Okay, now, what do I need torelearn?

Speaker 2 (01:24:17):
or reimplement or implement.

Speaker 1 (01:24:20):
Okay, great, that's been done.
Okay, now you just feel thisexpansion that starts to happen
and continues to happen, and itonly gets better from there the
more you dive into it it feelslike.
And, believe me, I'm nowexperienced entrepreneurial by
any stretch of the imagination.
However, I know and have feltall of the stuff that you're

(01:24:44):
talking about right now and thelisteners are shaking their head
going yes yes, yes, isn't thatamazing.

Speaker 2 (01:24:51):
It's like the experience is universal.
It really is.
I mean, the threads areuniversal, the doubts, I mean
all of that I mean it is.
I mean that's.
The threads are universal, thedoubts, the.
I mean all of that.
I mean it is.
I mean that's.
Again, as I've listened to yourpodcast, I mean I found myself
nodding along.
I mean it's like, no matterwhat your, you know where you
are on the journey you know,because I'm at that launch, you

(01:25:13):
know, my daughter's, I'm aboutto be an empty nester.
I'm, you know, I'm, essentially,hopefully, 10 years away from
retirement, so I mean it's adifferent point.
But yeah, the experience of itand the growth and the
challenges are all the same.

Speaker 1 (01:25:28):
It'll be so fun to like, look back and and re
listen to this episode in ayear's timeframe, Julie, knowing
that this is like, potentially,what your timeline looks like
for wanting to retire right?
So then it's like one less yearof building out this business
for yourself, but then it's alsoone more year that you are

(01:25:52):
working to build the business aswell.
It's kind of a cool concept andit's kind of a cool time period
that you're living in.
That's so fascinating.

Speaker 2 (01:26:01):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (01:26:01):
Yes, I would have never thought of it that way,
but I just like kind of came tome.
So I want to start to land theplane so to speak, but I want to
.
I want to really carve out sometime to talk through maybe a a
a true valley that you haveexperienced thus far, and it

(01:26:22):
could have been like when youwere in the corporate setting
after having your daughter right, or it could be as of recent um
as well.
So are you willing to share?

Speaker 2 (01:26:34):
and be vulnerable.
I was.
I was thinking like I, um and Ithink you know I'll I'll go
back and share a little bitabout just even the process of
trying to get pregnant.
I had a really hard timegetting pregnant and I um, you
know it was one of those whereyou find yourself.
You know you try, try most ofyour life not to get pregnant as

(01:26:57):
you're growing up and then allof a sudden you want to get
pregnant and find out there'schallenges doing so and so, um,
you know, so I, I did go throughthe ivf process to to have get
pregnant with grace and um, youknow what, when I think about a
valley, the valley was, you know, wanting.

(01:27:18):
It was probably one of thefirst times in my life that I
wanted something so badly and Icouldn't make it happen.
I guess you know there's, youknow, up to that point in my
life, if I wanted something Icould work for it and it would
happen, but getting pregnant wasthat was out of my hands.

Speaker 1 (01:27:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:27:39):
And, and I was.
So you know I was angry becauseit's like I, you know, here, I,
you know I was in a situation,you know, wanting a baby and
couldn't have one, and I just Imean just all the emotions of
wanting that and I would go tothe IVF appointments and you
know I'd look around, I'd be madthat I was there, I'd be mad

(01:28:02):
while I was driving, I would be,you know, I was just so
frustrated with the wholeprocess and the what.
What finally occurred to me wasme walking into these
appointments feeling mad andfrustrated was probably not the
right environment for me toactually get pregnant, like,

(01:28:23):
like, like I probably needed tolook at it a little bit
differently If I was going to towalk through that with any
grace and so and so that starteda journey for me where I
actually got introduced tomeditation, so, um.
So I really was like, okay, Igot to do something different.

(01:28:45):
Um, you know I, you know I, I,at the end of the day, whether I
was going to get pregnant ornot, I believe, was in God's
hands, like, yes, I'm going toput myself in the hands of the
doctors but ultimately, outcomeis not my decision and I got to
be okay either way.
Like I had been so upset aboutit.

(01:29:06):
It was like I just kind of hadthat moment of well, what if it
doesn't happen?
I mean it's like you know,again I've been so goals and
achievement and go after what Iwant.
It's you know, I want to goafter what I want on this.
I really wanted to have a baby,but if it didn't happen, what
was that going to mean?

(01:29:26):
And so, you know, I got a littleeducation on meditation and how
to do it and started to do thatregularly and through that
process, at some point I wentfrom being mad I was in those
appointments to being grateful.
I was in those appointments andbut that was a.

(01:29:47):
That took.
That took a.
I mean that was really doingsome serious reflection and
prayer and meditation and thingsto get to the point of and I
actually actually as I because,again, as you know, I don't know
if you know, but the it's sohard on your body when you're
going through IVF, it's so hardon your emotions or going

(01:30:08):
through IVF, your hormones areall over the place, like I just
had that summer.
Um was like a lost summer, LikeI felt like I was either asleep
or stressed or something, thatwhole summer when we were trying
to get pregnant and we kind ofwere at the end of our money to
have like, okay, we've got onemore treatment and I went into

(01:30:29):
that last treatment really beingokay, like I had peace, like
finally I'd gotten to the pointof peace, Like we're going to
give this one more try andeither I'm going to get pregnant
and I can see a great lifebeing a mom, or I'm not going to
get pregnant and I actuallyfelt, going into it, I can see a

(01:30:50):
great life not being a mom aswell Like I, because that was my
goal.
It was like I got to, okay,Either way, either way, I'm
finding myself getting likeemotional.

Speaker 1 (01:31:05):
I'm I'm like in that moment in time with you right
now, and just one I I did notexperience that, but I have had
women on the podcast who haveexperienced that, who have gone
through that process of um, iuior IVF or even so much to say,

(01:31:27):
like I've had one guest on herewho has not been able to and has
accepted that.
That is just like what God issaying right now, like that's
right.
Now's not your time, honey, andI am so sorry, but like we
never know what the future couldhold we never know what the
future could hold.
But she has gotten to that pointof acceptance with it.

(01:31:50):
But the striving for motherhoodin all of that is, it's the
common thread.
Right, it's a common thread, itis.
But I also I also understand,and I think part of the reason
I'm getting emotional with it islike I I had that moment, not
in having to go through IUI orIVF, but when I first met my

(01:32:13):
husband now husband, you know hehad had his two kids, yes, and
he wasn't certain that he reallywanted to have any more
children.
Sure, and I was kind of in thispoint in state two or season of
life, where I was like, youknow, I'm okay with it.
And then, the more and moretime that we spent with each
other, I was like, no, I reallywant to have a baby with you.

Speaker 2 (01:32:33):
That's right, and I was.
I was exactly the same thing.
I had not.
I was not someone who my wholelife knew.
I wanted to be a mom.

Speaker 1 (01:32:41):
Like.

Speaker 2 (01:32:41):
I was kind of like, well, sure, the right
circumstance, or you know thatsort of thing Like I.
But I was open to it.
But I wasn't until I wasmarried and in the situation and
saying, okay, I really do wantto have a baby, and and then it
got hard.

Speaker 1 (01:32:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:32:59):
And then I had to in some ways go through the process
of letting it go.
Also, I mean the at the end ofthe day, that last treatment,
that last uh, that last IVFsession, you know, ended up
resulting in grace.
So, yay, I mean that's amazing.
Um, yes, her name is Grace andthat's a lot to do.
I mean, really, you can seewhere that name comes from is

(01:33:22):
because, at the time, it was itwas.
It was amazing and, like youknow, you go through this
process like and it's funny,I've shown Grace this picture,
but I have a picture of her as ayou know eight cells.
Yeah, Because they takepictures of the you know the,
the before they implant and allthis stuff.

(01:33:44):
I remember all the name, thetechnical terms or everything,
but like I have a picture ofGrace at eight cells.
Yeah, but that was her.
And then here she is today.
So so yes, the the the pathopen that was supposed to open.
But I just, you know I've heardother, you know I.
I just think it's importantpeople know they're not alone
and that that process isespecially when I was going

(01:34:08):
through it.

Speaker 1 (01:34:08):
People really didn't talk about it and so I it's like
you were in my head, Cause thatwas the question I was going to
ask they don't talk about it.
What did that?

Speaker 2 (01:34:16):
look like they really don't talk about it, and so now
I think it's become more peopleare more open to have the
conversation, which I appreciate, and again, so I've been there,
I've done it and that was goingto be it, like either that was
going to take or it wasn't, andI, you know, grace is here today
, thank goodness.
Um, yeah, she was meant to bein the world.

(01:34:38):
That's how I look at it.

Speaker 1 (01:34:40):
She was all a part of the plan part of the plan she
was.

Speaker 2 (01:34:44):
she was supposed to be here because, it was.

Speaker 1 (01:34:46):
it was quite hard to bring her into the world, so I
think that I do want to talkthrough this, um, this idea that
you just brought up aboutcalming your body and your mind
and mindset.
When it comes to gosh, I meanreally anything in life, but

(01:35:07):
specifically in thiscircumstance, it's like I I had
to shift my mindset to a morejoyful approach and it was it.
It took time, it took work, ittook a lot of energy to to have
that shift happen and you also,like in doing that, had this

(01:35:27):
attitude of gratitude and thisattitude of bless and release,
like, yeah, if it happens, ithappens.
Yes, if it doesn't happen, ifit doesn't happen, it doesn't
happen.

Speaker 2 (01:35:39):
And being okay with blessing and releasing in either
direction that that was goingto go and it sounds really
graceful, but it wasn't no rightwhich is why I led into like
how I can make it sound like,really like, oh, and then I just
meditated and I was fine andit's it wasn't, wasn't that, I
mean?
And really it was the, it wasthe pain, it was the amount of

(01:36:02):
pain I was in going to thoseappointments and realizing that
I was creating my own pain.
You know, it was like I washere, I had this amazing
opportunity to go through thesetreatments and I'm mad.
It's like, well, that's not theperson I want to be, you know,
like that's not, that's not andthat's not serving me.

(01:36:23):
That is not.
I'm miserable.
And you know how do I want togo through this?
Do I want to go through thismiserable or not?
And so it was really just mekind of getting sick of myself
and how I was feeling.
I mean I, I mean again, it'scan make it sound really deep,
but it was like I just was in somuch pain.

(01:36:45):
I was like I, I have, you know,I have all this pathway of
actions I have to take.
I, I can't take them this way,I can't take them feeling this
way anymore.
And so it was more desperateand it was a lot of tears and
you know, it's a lot of lettinggo to say, well, you know, maybe
you know again this you know,not everybody gets what they

(01:37:08):
want, right?

Speaker 1 (01:37:09):
Not everybody gets what they want, but it also
means, that differentopportunities and doors are
going to be opening as well, andback to the initial like start
of this part of the conversationis like mindset is so highly
important and all of that, and II'm such a firm believer in
attitude of gratitude, and it'seasier said than done.

(01:37:32):
It is especially if you were ina tumultuous timeframe or a.
Valley.
As we like to say on thispodcast um, it is.
It's having faith thateverything is going to work out,
yes, and then sticking likeglue to that and continuing to

(01:37:52):
be appreciative of the blessingsthat are being set right in
front of us that we mightotherwise completely miss
because we are so much morefocused on the negativity or the
not joyful parts of what'shappening, to see that there was
literally this little blessingthat was dropped right in front
of us.

Speaker 2 (01:38:10):
That's right.
I mean, and I have foundbenefits from simple actions
like taking gratitude lists oragain, just I get to I, I think
that we can create our attitudeand our energy and it's like I,
I, I.
If I have a choice, I'm goingto try not always, but try to
land on the side of what's goodabout this.

(01:38:32):
What good do I see?
Because it's just, life is muchmore fun that way.
I I just don't like being inthat dark hole and I choose to
get out.

Speaker 1 (01:38:42):
I choose to get out every time I can.
So good, and I love that.
You essentially said I was sosick and tired of my own shit.

Speaker 2 (01:38:50):
Seriously, that's what it was.

Speaker 1 (01:38:51):
I decided that I needed to.
I needed to change.
I needed to change in thatmoment and that was the mindset
that had to be shifted.

Speaker 2 (01:39:01):
I mean, and again, it's not graceful, that's the
thing I mean.
It's, it is, it is.
I surrender ugly a lot of times.
I mean I wish.
I surrendered pretty, but I, mysurrender is oftentimes uh, you
know, I can't, I'm upset, Ican't take it anymore.
I have to.
Something's got to change, andyou know, and then.
But that's when really coolthings happen.

(01:39:23):
As much as I hate those lowspots, that's where doors open
or things change or I'm able totake action that I couldn't take
before.
All of that changes, so it'sbeen good.
It's been good.
All of that changes, so it'sbeen good, it's been good.

Speaker 1 (01:39:38):
Oh my gosh, julie, I have like so thoroughly enjoyed
our conversation and we're goingto continue to land the plane.
I want to ask you what is apiece of advice that you would
give a younger version ofyourself knowing all that you
know?

Speaker 2 (01:39:54):
Oh gosh, so many things, but really this idea of
just don't be so hard onyourself.
I mean, I look back and I havebeen my own worst critic for so
long.
Yeah, and on things that I lookback on today, that don't
matter that.
It was just wasted time andenergy.
I wish I could have enjoyed thejourney more.

(01:40:15):
I think I got so caught up inthe periodically.
I got caught up in what's nextand what's more, and what do I
need to do different?
Sometimes you just need toenjoy it, and so those would be
things.

Speaker 1 (01:40:31):
Yeah, I mean it's, it's beautiful and it's profound
and it's spot on, it's so good.
What's a piece of advice thatyou would give a woman listening
right now who is nibbling onthe edges of entrepreneurship?

Speaker 2 (01:40:47):
I would say have more conversations Okay.
I would say.
I would say ask more questions,get curious, that's what I
would say.
There's a reason why it's inyour mind and get more curious
about it.

Speaker 1 (01:40:59):
That's so good too, because in getting curious is
where you can start to getclarity and answers to you know,
in clarification right.
Like you know, you're feeling alittle confused about what this
means.
Like ask questions.

Speaker 2 (01:41:16):
Yeah, I mean it is, and and I would just say you
know, my experience has been youhave to.
If you're, if you're nibblingon it, I think you have to be
honest with yourself about howuncomfortable you're willing to
be because you will be out ofyour comfort zone completely
making the making that I haveenjoyed, enjoyed that I was

(01:41:39):
ready for it, but there was aperiod, there was many years,
that I was not yeah so, um, so Ijust think you have to be
honest with yourself about thattoo so that was really good too.

Speaker 1 (01:41:49):
Yeah, because it's so true, yes, it's so so true.
Who would be a good connection,or what would be a good
connection for you right now, inthis moment?

Speaker 2 (01:42:01):
Um, really right now, you know when I think about my
business and who I help, um, soI think anyone that's got like
lately the people I've beentalking to are, you know these
found a founder, growing company, has potentially has HR in
place, but that HR needsadditional support.
I mean, I'm um, I've had a lotof success coaching HR coming in

(01:42:25):
, assessing, helping companiesget ready for that next stage of
growth.
So that's really that's reallywhere I think at my sweet spot
is.

Speaker 1 (01:42:32):
I might have a connection for you.
Okay, great, excellent.
How can people get connected?

Speaker 2 (01:42:37):
to you for you?
Okay, great, excellent.
How can people get connected toyou?
Yes, well, I am on LinkedIn,julie Thiel at it's T-H-I-E-L on
LinkedIn.
My website will be launched bythe time this podcast launches
and it's ThielTalentStrategycom.
T-h-i-e-l.
Talentstrategy is one wordcom,or you can reach me at Julie at

(01:42:58):
ThielT.
Teal talent strategycom.
That's my email.

Speaker 1 (01:43:01):
Love it, I'll.
I'll be sure to drop all ofthat into the show notes for our
listeners to get connected toyou.
I have a connection for you aswell.
We'll talk about off air.

Speaker 2 (01:43:09):
I can't wait.

Speaker 1 (01:43:11):
I am so grateful that we had this opportunity to chat
more about your story,combining some of my story with
your story as well, thoseparallels that in the common
threads that we experienced.
So thank you for carving outtime this morning to come out.

Speaker 2 (01:43:28):
Oh, thank you for the invitation.
I've thoroughly enjoyed it.

Speaker 1 (01:43:31):
Thank you so much, kelly.
Yeah, you're so welcome.
I hope you have a great day.
Thank you, you too.
Thanks.

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Ep. 62 with Julie Thiel | Founder of Thiel Talent Strategy

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Ep. 62 with Julie Thiel | Founder of Thiel Talent Strategy